Thursday, July 24, 2008

Picnic cake...

now bear with me. I know this cake looks a little funky, even on a pretty china plate and doily. But it tastes spectacular. Just wait until you find out what makes it look so...unusual! When I was a little girl, we had picnics on Memorial day and Labor day. Usually at a county or state park. Mawmaw would bring this cake and I loved it. I am so glad that I have the recipe to share with you. It's one of those things that tastes even better than I remembered. I'm not particularly fond of bananas- the texture kinda throws me off. I like them if they are still pretty green and very firm, and just a scooch sour. So once they start to ripen, I pop them into the freezer- peel and all- until I have enough to make this cake or banana bread- but the family likes this cake best.

Mawmaw's Picnic Cake

1 1/2c. sugar

1/2c. butter

2 beaten eggs

Combine and beat well.

1 1/2c. flour

3/4t. salt

1t. baking powder

1/2c. buttermilk- with 1/2t. baking soda stirred in

2t. vanilla

1 1/4c. mashed banana(about 3)

1c. nuts- optional(my kids resist anything with nuts.)

Stir in by hand.

Grease a 9x13" pan. Place 34 large marshmellows over the bottom of the pan. (Mawmaw would space hers out perfectly so that every piece of cake had a little toasty marshmellow circle in the middle. I just dump the marshmellows in the pan. Minis work fine also.) Spread batter over marshmellows. Bake for 45 minutes at 350*. Cool and eat- warm is good, too. No need to frost it because the marshmellows have formed this wonderfully sticky, toasty top!

I'm with you on the whole bananas thing! Firm and green or frozen. There is no other choice. ;-)

I'm thinking I have all of the ingredients for this cake. No picnic though...think that it would still taste ok without the bugs and the humid breeze? I'm thinking it's worth the try! Thanks for sharing your family recipe, Nines!